Pharsalia

English

Etymology

From Latin Pharsālia (“the region of Pharsalus”), borrowed as a title for Lucan's poem from a line in the work itself: “Pharsālia nostra / vīvet” (“Our Pharsalia / will live”, book 9, lines 985–6). The original Latin title was Dē Bellō Cīvīlī (“On the Civil War”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌfɑːˈseɪli.ə/
• Rhymes: -eɪliə

Proper noun

Pharsalia

1. An epic poem by the Roman poet Lucan describing Caesar's Civil War.
2. (historical) The Battle of Pharsalus of 48 B.C.E.
   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1:

     […] ev’ry Time he’s named
     Pharſalia rises to my View—I ſee
     Th’ Inſulting Tyrant prancing o’er the Field
     Strow’d with Rome’s Citizens, and drench’d in Slaughter,
     His Horſe’s Hoofs wet with Patrician Blood.

   • 1931, Ernst Kantorowicz, translated by Emily Lorimer, Frederick the Second, page 202:

     […] much as Caesar's tale of portents on the day of Pharsalia, showed Caesar in harmony with the Roman Pantheon.

3. (historical) The region around Pharsalus (modern Farsala), a Greek town.

Derived terms

• Pharsalian

Translations

poem by Lucan

• Bulgarian: Фарсалия f (Farsalija)
• Catalan: Farsàlia f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 法沙利亞／法沙利亚 (Fǎshālìyǎ), 內戰紀／内战纪 (Nèizhànjì)

• Czech: Farsalské pole n pl
• French: Pharsale (fr) f
• German: Pharsalia f
• Greek: Φαρσάλια f (Farsália)
• Hungarian: Pharsalia
• Italian: Farsaglia f, Pharsalia f
• Japanese: ファルサリア (Farusaria), パルサリア (Parusaria), 内乱 (ja) (Nairan)
• Korean: 파르살리아 (Pareusallia)
• Latin: Pharsālia f, Dē Bellō Cīvīlī
• Marathi: फारसालिया (phārsāliyā)
• Occitan: Farsàlia f
• Polish: Farsalia f
• Portuguese: Farsália f
• Romanian: Farsalia f
• Russian: Фарсалия f (Farsalija)
• Spanish: Farsalia f
• Turkish: Pharsalia

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Φᾰρσᾱλῐ́ᾱ (Pharsālíā).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /pʰarˈsaː.li.a/, [pʰärˈs̠äːlʲiä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /farˈsa.li.a/, [färˈsäːliä]

Proper noun

Pharsālia f sg (genitive Pharsāliae); first declension

1. The region around Pharsalus.
2. The Battle of Pharsalus of 48 B.C.E.
3. Lucan's poem, the Pharsalia.

Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Pharsālia
Genitive	Pharsāliae
Dative	Pharsāliae
Accusative	Pharsāliam
Ablative	Pharsāliā
Vocative	Pharsālia

References

• Pharsalia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “Pharsalia”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers